Covid Cafe: Tomato Time

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Bumblebee Cherry Tomatoes 

via Hudson Valley Seeds

Over the past decade, plantbreeder Fred Hempel has been using classical breeding practices to create colorful and delicious new (open-pollinated) varieties he calls “Artisan Tomatoes.” We adoreHempel’s Bumble Bee line—the striped cherries are both pretty and tasty.

Welcome, chefs, to the cafe. With so much vibrant food on the vine, we're eating mostly fresh vegetables with some protein at each meal. Now that the tomatoes are ripening, every day is delicious. And colorful, if Connie's garden is any indication...

Connie writes: This spring, after my allium bloomed and the little purple flowers fell off, I got out the spray paint and gave them all some new colors.  It has lasted several months and I like looking out my kitchen window at the "new" flowers which, in years past, I would have cut back.

Tenacious squash

at Rudy and Karin's garden

 Via the incomparable

Roz Chast

 Morning pickings

 

Perhaps you'll find inspiration in this photo of chicken breasts with tomato and artichoke, covered in Parmesan sauce, sent along by Rob.

Poetry

A Bowl of Spaghetti

By Kimiko Hahn

 

“To find a connectome, or the mental makeup of a person,”

researchers experimented with the neurons of a worm

then upgraded to mouse hoping

“to unravel the millions of miles of wire in the [human] brain”

that they liken to “untangling a bowl of spaghetti”

of which I have an old photo: Rei in her high chair delicately

picking out each strand to mash in her mouth.

Was she two? Was that sailor dress from Mother?

Did I cook from scratch? If so, there was a carrot in the sauce

as Mother instructed and I’ll never forget

since some strand determines infatuation as a daughter’s fate.

Tomato Black Prince

in the Spirit Circle

Did someone say Prince?

Music

Prince - Partyman (Extended Version)